


Reasons Why

by Phoenix_Down



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Cor Leonis Week, Day 1 Prompt: Cor in His Younger Years/Happiness, Day 2 Prompt: Trials of Gilgamesh, Day 3 Prompt: Fears, Day 4 Prompt: Dad!Cor/Marshal, Day 5 Prompt: Guilt, Domestic, Father Figures, Foster Care, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-11 01:20:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13513785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Down/pseuds/Phoenix_Down
Summary: Cor has done a lot of things in his life and they've all been for one person.Chapter 1: Clarus and Regis meet Cor's sister Libi and finds a whole new side to the young guard.Chapter 2: Cor undertakes the Trails of Gilgamesh.Chapter 3: Libi goes missing and Cor fears for her safety.Chapter 4: Marshall Argentum meets Marshal Leonis to ask for his blessings. Cor babysits Gladio.Chapter 5: Cor walks Libi down the aisle, but feels guilty as he gives her to Marshall.





	1. Libi

**Author's Note:**

> This started off as a quick one-shot for day 4. I called it Papa!Cor with a twist. Like so many of my stories it got away from me and turned (happily and coincidently) into this five-chaptered fic that encompasses a prompt from the first five days. Whilst the overall theme is still Dad Cor and the relationship between him and his sister (who is sort of an OC/sort of not as you'll find out soon), I also built on the relationships between Clarus and Regis because I love this three nerds.
> 
> Thanks for reading and happy Cor Week - this man deserves our love!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young and hot-headed Cor Leonis has a lot going for him. Clarus Amicitia and Prince Regis are curious, however, of what he gets up to every other Sunday. They've imagined everything imaginable, what they're not expecting is a cute ten-year-old sister which shows a whole new side to the stubborn and headstrong Leonis.
> 
>  **Prompt: Cor during his younger years** with a little bit of **Happiness** thrown in for good measure.

Cor Leonis was five when their father left to get some milk from the Coernix station on the corner of Kings and Founder. He was six when he realised that he should stop waiting for his father to return and that he was effectively the man of the house. He was eleven when their mother passed away, plunging him and his sister into the unorganised system that was Insomnia Social Services. He was twelve when chance brought them to the same ramshackle care home. For two months, they were together again, brother and sister, Libi and Cor, four years between then but inseparable since birth.

It was during these two months that Cor made a promise, a promise that he would always look out for her, no matter how far apart they would be. If they were separated he would find her again. Libi was the one who got taken away first, to a family on the outskirts of Insomnia, an eight-year-old girl who loved to dance more desirable than a twelve-year-old boy who never smiled and was often caught fighting to defend his sister.

He was thirteen when he snuck out of the care home he had been residing in, forged his parent's signature on a crownsguard application form and became the youngest ever recruit not born into the social hierarchy that was the Citadel.

At fourteen he was found out.

"Did you know it's a criminal offence to lie on official government paperwork?"

The man stood a whole foot taller than Cor, but he didn't back down. Why should he? He had a legitimate reason for doing what he did, criminal offence or not. Instead, he shrugged and held his ground, unblinking and unmoving as he stared up at a pair of harsh blue eyes.

The man’s companion, and probably the one that Cor was most scared of (though he didn't let it show,) held his friend back with a hand on his shoulder and a thoughtful look on his face.

"Stand down Clarus, the boy probably has his reasons."

Cor nodded and bowed, as was the proper etiquette when conversing with the crown prince of Lucis.

Clarus Amicitia, Shield to the Prince, shrugged in defeat. "Fine. I'm merely seeing if he has what it takes to replace my father. Imagine my surprise when I find golden boy here doctored his application paperwork."

Cor's demeanour shifted slightly, he'd heard the rumours that were floating around after the late Crailas Amicitia passed away fulling his duty. Rumours that were heralding him as the next worthy candidate to take up the mantle. A position that would make him the youngest bodyguard employed by a king in history. He tried to school his features into one of a passive nature.

"I assure you I mean no ill-will. I merely embellished in order to serve."

"And it has nothing to do with where you go every second and fourth Sunday of the month?"

His resolve failed and he stood wide-eyed and opened mouthed at the two men standing before him.

"You're not as stealthy as you think," the prince said with a soft smile.

"Tell you what," Clarus added thoughtfully, his blue eyes narrowing. "You tell us what has you so occupied for two Sundays a month and attend remedial classes with me as your tutor and I won't tell King Mors that you faked your parents signature and thus don't have permission to be here."

Cor knew defeat when it stared at him in the face, he sighed and turned on his heel. Forgetting all about protocol and the fact that he'd just turned his back on his prince, he gestured with a hand for the men to follow him.

~*~

Prince Regis on a subway train was a sight to see. He'd acquired a baseball cap from somewhere, which clashed horribly with the formal suit he was wearing. Clarus looked no different, huge and bulking as he stood arms crossed over his chest, scowling at anyone who got too close to them.

If it weren't for the situation Cor would have laughed at them both. Instead, he was hoping that they wouldn't judge him too harshly for what he was about to show them.

They alit from the train and again Cor took point, leading them up to street level and down through the alleys of downtown Insomnia. His sister lived in a residential district in the south of the city. On a good day, it was a thirty-minute journey from the citadel, on a bad day… well if the trains and other public transports weren't working then it could take nearly three hours just to walk.

"Listen Leonis, if you're taking us somewhere that would besmirch the prince, then you can kiss your career and your life goodbye," Clarus growled as he led them down another alley.

In all fairness, Cor could have stuck to the main roads and added extra time on their journey, but it wasn't his usual visiting day and he was unsure of whether or not he would be welcomed. He needn't have worried. He hadn't even raised his hand to knock on the white-stucco building his sister called home when the front door opened and a figured barrelled into him, staggering him slightly.

"What are you doing here? It’s not your day. Can you stay for dinner? Why are you looking at me like that? Did something happen? Who are they? Are you in trouble? Did you get fired?"

The string of questions spewing from his sister's mouth made him smile. She'd let go of him, small hands around his wrists, curiously peering at the two men behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at his company, smirking slightly when he saw they both wore identical faces of confusion. Of all the things they had imagined that Cor got up to on his Sundays off, an energetic ten-year-old was probably not one of them.

Regis regained his composure first. "I'm Reggie," he said with a bow that made her giggle. "And this sourpuss is Clarus." he jerked a thumb at his shield and she laughed even more. "Does the princess have a name?"

"I'm Libi Leonis," she announced proudly, stepping away from Cor and executing the perfect curtsey. Cor didn't miss the look the older men shared. "Cor's my brother. Would you like to come in?" Without waiting for an answer she spun around and entered the house yelling a name as she went. "Karen! Cor's here!"

Cor shrugged apologetically and gestured to the open door.

"Cor what a pleasant surprise," Karen, Libi's foster mother said in greeting when he entered the house. "To what do we owe the honour?"

"We were in the neighbourhood and had some spare time. I thought I would ask if I could take Libi to the park? I understand if you have plans…"

"Nonsense, in fact taking her out might encourage her to do her homework when she gets back."

Cor narrowed his eyes and glanced at his sister who was sheepishly hiding around a corner, her face barely visible as she peered at her guests.

"Why aren't you doing your homework?"

"It's too hard," she muttered, swinging her feet a little so her toes dragged along the carpet.

"Bring it with you, maybe I can help."

Libi giggled. "You don't even go to school how can you help me?" Cor coughed in embarrassment but she disappeared no doubt to collect her books all the same.

~*~

The walk to the park was quick, it being at the end of the road and through no dark alleys to warrant hostility from the shield. They settled on a picnic table just on the outside the gated playpark, as Libi pulled out her books, talking a mile a minute.

"So then Marshall said that Colin said that Phoebe said… oh, I need help with maths… anyway, Phoebe said that I said that I hate Marshall, which isn't true! I mean he's like my best friend, he's super smart and cute and funny and he's always offering to carry my book bag which is super sweet."

Cor had been distracted looking at the homework she needed to complete, he didn't remember doing any of this when he was her age, but then again he had better things to do than actually work hard in school. His sister saying the word cute in relation to another boy brought him back to attention. She hadn't mentioned anything more, just a casual slip of the tongue and the moment had gone. Now she was listening with rapt attention as Clarus explained fractions and percentages to her.

Regis, for the most part, sat quietly, head buried under his hat. Not that he needed to, the park was pretty empty this late in the afternoon. When Libi had finally finished her homework, she dragged her new found friend off into the playpark demanding he push her on the swings leaving Cor alone with the prince.

"Your sister," Regis commented. "She seems a handful."

"Only when she's excited," Cor answered, one eye on Clarus and his sister, the other on his surroundings. Regis was effectively in his care after all.

"Your reasoning to join the crownsguard? Was it for her?"

Cor nodded stiffly, eyes unmoving from their assigned targets. He caught Regis smile and it distracted him, was it a good smile or a bad?

"It's admirable," he said finally and Cor tore his gaze away and stared open-mouthed at his prince. Regis chuckled. "Most people that pass through our hallowed halls do it to serve because it's an honour, a family rite. You. You're doing it to give your sister a better life. It's admirable," he repeated again and Cor allowed a small smile to grace his features.

"Thank you," he said with finality. "I'm sorry I had to lie to do it though."

Regis waved a hand dismissively. "We all do stupid things for the ones we care about."

"Cor!" Libi came bounding over, Clarus hot on her heels. "Clarus says your going to be the king's bodyguard!"

"I am?" Clarus coughed pointedly. "I mean, the council still have to sign off on it, but the offer is there."

Libi squealed and leapt at him, pulling him into a hug. "Are you excited? That's got to be exciting right?"

"It's a bit daunting," he admitted and his sister looked up at him, blue eyes shining with tears. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm just really happy for you," she said with a sniff. "I was worried about you, but now you have friends, you have a good position. Things are looking up."

"You're not allowed to worry about me," Cor responded softly as he hugged her back. "You have other things to worry about, like homework and dancing and this Marshall boy who you said was cute…" he trailed off with a smile as his sister staggered back, her pale face flushed pink.

"I'm not, he's not, we're… shut up!" she stomped and stuck out her tongue.

Cor laughed and he was happy to hear he wasn't alone, Regis and Clarus chuckling along with him.

"Come on, let's get you home."

It wasn't until hours later when the three of them were back in the Citadel that Cor finally got to ask Clarus if he'd meant what he said.

"Libi told me everything," the shield confided. "About your parents and how you've been looking after her all these years and it struck me. If you can protect a king like you've been protecting your sister than I have no qualms about giving you my blessings. I plan to tell the council in the morning."

Cor blinked up in surprise at the twenty-four-year-old and bowed in gratitude. Fist clasped in front of him. "I won't let you down my lord. Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little note on the names I've come up with:  
>  **Libi:** Means 'my heart' in Hebrew.  
>  **Crailas:** Crailas was the name the piggyback guide gave Clarus in their FFXV game guide, I figured it must have come from somewhere.


	2. Gilgamesh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as they uncovered the tempering grounds Cor knew he had to go in and explore. Already so many had gone in and none had come out. His friends tried to talk him out of it, but his own hubris was hard to overcome.    
>  **Prompt: Trial of Gilgamesh**

 

From the moment they'd unearthed the Tempering Grounds, even after so many went in and none came out, Cor knew it was something he had to do. They tried to talk him out of it, they all did; Regis, Clarus, Cid, even Weskham wrote him a strongly worded letter from Altissia but Cor was stubborn. A small part of him thought that those who went in didn’t come back because they weren't him. The arrogance of his childhood kicked in, a hubris that controlled every fibre. Clarus called him idiotic, Regis called him big-headed, he didn't tell his sister. He didn't want her to worry.

‘ _ Do you dare risk all for nought in return? _ ’ Clarus’ parting words were a mantra, his sister was his motivation. At every turn, every cut, slice and dice the desire to see his sister was there, coursing through his veins. His desire to prove Claris wrong, to prove he was worthy of the mantle he’d been bestowed, to prove that not only was he capable of being a guard to King Mors, but also an older brother to his sister.

With no survivors there was nothing to expect, he was flying blind and every turn was prepared to be his last. But somehow they never were, and before long he was standing in front of the Blademaster himself.

As years wore on, Cor would forget much about this fight, running on adrenaline, determination and hope, but the one thing he would remember was the eyes. The way the Blademaster could peer into his soul with just a gaze.

"Gilgamesh! You told me that if I do not fear death, then to go forth with reckless abandon and prove my worth. I am here, and I'm not afraid!"

The look he was given pierced into his heart, almost as if he could see into his soul. His pulse heightened, he tightened his grip on his katana. A gift from Clarus and Regis on his acceptance of the position, he only wished he could live up to the name it was given. Genji.

With a roar, Cor leapt into the air, swinging his blade down but when he landed it was to nothing.

"You have the Crystal's blessing," Cor realised as he spun and lunged again, watching in amazement as Gilgamesh phased through his attack in a shower of red.

"As Shield of the founder king, the power of the crystal courses through me, my oath still stands. My purpose? To test those who deem themselves worthy of taking up my mantle."

"And those who are not worthy?" Cor questioned, blade aloft circling cautiously.

"The weak aren’t worthy of living. All of them are fools, punished for aspiring beyond their station."

With his face set in grim determination, Cor took a step back to assess the situation. He wasn't fighting the empire or a rogue behemoth, this was a skilled soldier, on par or above his own strength and at the moment Gilgamesh could anticipate his every move.

He sidestepped a swipe and pivoted on one foot, lashing out with his glaive only to be met and parried.

The battle was long and arduous and Cor could feel his resolve draining like water through a sieve. He wouldn’t give up though, the Blademaster had stressed that enough. There was no room for failure.

He exhaled and schooled his features. He needed to remember why he was doing this. He had everything to prove. He was a nobody, someone who had run away at the age of thirteen, committed a crime and forged some papers all for the sake of his sister. He was here now to prove that he was worthy of everything he had done thus far, that everything he'd done for his sister, for his king, his prince, his friends, hadn't been in vain.

He dodged an attack, his foot caught on a loose stone on the bridge and it brought him tumbling down. His blade was flung from his grasp, his opponent loomed over him. He was flat on his back staring up and out of the Talepar Crag.

His sister's face swam into view, a distant memory of her dancing, their mother deathly ill but determined to watch and praise. If only his sister could see him now, performing his own dance, a dance with death, of swords and of fate. She wasn't here to watch him dance, but he wouldn’t miss a dance of hers.

With a grunt and a roll, he moved to the side, inches from being impaled. He placed his hands beside his head and pushed upwards flipping up and onto his feet before he ducked into a roll. His hand reached out to grab his katana. Coming out of the roll, he jumped up in time to parry an attack.

"Blind reliance on strength alone reveals your weakness of will," Gilgamesh countered. "Why do you proceed?"

"Because I have a will to live," Cor grunted. With a roar he swung his sword down, severing through flesh and fibre. There was a clatter as the broadsword fell to the ground.

Gilgamesh stood, motionless as he realised the severity of what had just happened. Cor paused, placing his hands on his knees as he bent forward to catch his breath. The fight wasn't over and even with one arm the Blademaster was still a formidable opponent.

It happened so fast, a flash of red, and Gilgamesh was hauling him up, hand around his throat as he held Cor in the air. His Katana fell to the floor as he tried to use both hands to relieve the pressure of the hand around his throat.

"You are strong—yet so long as fear binds your heart, the power you possess is wasted on you."

"Fear gives me the motivation to fight, the thought of losing those I love too much to bear," Cor said, gasping out his words.

The Blademaster moved his arm, flinging him to one side and Cor was falling through the air.  His head struck the edge of the stone bridge with a blinding flash of pain.

Gilgamesh phased towards him and Cor accepted his fate. His journey, his dance was over.

"Fear and doubt beget death alone. He who averts his gaze from his own faults cannot himself a true Shield call, but you -" Cor opened his eyes, the cold piercing gaze penetrating his soul once more. "I will let you live, you may not be a shield, but you have much to prove."

~*~

Cor doesn't remember much else, he was granted free passage back through the trial, his head pounding, blood marring his vision, as he clambered back over ledges and under fallen beams. It was dusk when he emerged, or dawn, time was but a fleeting memory, one thing that was for certain was the worried face waiting for him. Perched on a rock, broadsword on his lap. It was dismissed in a shower of crystals as Cor staggered out, the distance between the covered quickly as Cor collapsed into the arms of Clarus. A shout, car headlights being switched on, the running of feet and a voice.

"You're an idiot."

~*~

Time passed in a blur, worried questions, raised voices. Clarus, Regis, Cid they all merged into one. There's a couple of others he doesn't recognise, accents he can't place. It's a while before he recognised a voice he did know.

"Libi," his throat was sore, his voice weak and if it weren't for the way her breath hitched as he spoke he would have thought he'd been too quiet.

"Hush Cor, you're home," she said and a cool cloth was placed on his forehead, he sighed in content before drifting off. His last thought was that it hadn't been for nought, he'd done it for her.

~*~

Cor had grown close with his fellow compatriots on their journey of Eos. They weren't without their faults or fights but they survived. Weskham had left them first, opting to stay in Altissia and be an ambassador of sorts, a way of communication between Lucis and Accordo. Cid was next, a petty argument between him and Regis, revolving around the decision to pull back the Wall the forefront on everyone's mind.

Which left Clarus, Regis and Cor. Despite the age difference, they had become fast friends, which is why when Cor finally regained conscious enough to be coherent of his surroundings, it wasn't surprising to see Clarus at his bedside. He was slumped in a chair, arms folded across his chest as he slumbered. It reminded Cor of how he would fall asleep around the campfire during the tour. Left mostly alone until he started snoring. It was usually Cid who'd wake him up, pouring a little of whatever he'd been drinking in the man's open mouth. Weskham was a little more gentle in his approach by shaking the man awake. Regis would poke him with a stick and Cor would throw objects; items of clothing, the occasional book, once a frying pan.

He grabbed something now, a flannel from his bedside table, still wet from the liquid it held and threw it in his friend's direction. Smirking slightly when it found its mark.

"Looks like you're alive enough to wake Clarus up in the normal means," a voice from the other side of the bed commented. With a turn of his head, he could see Regis looking rather amused, a paper file in his hand and a pen stuck behind his ear.

"Are you working?" Cor asked, his voice croaky from disuse.

Clarus harrumphed and stood, dropping the flannel back on the table and wiping his damp face with the back of his hand.

"Disappears for days on a reckless mission, sleeps for weeks and has the gall to throw a wet cloth at me. I thought when we agreed to be his friend we'd taught him some manners."

Cor was going to make a snarky comment, but something Clarus said stopped him in his tracks. "Asleep for weeks? What date is it?"

"December," Regis answered as Clarus retrieved a bottle of water from his bag and helped Cor drink it. "You turn sixteen next week," he added.

Cor froze, his mind working overtime as he tried to blink away the fog that was the medicine coursing through his system. It was December; Clarus had said he'd been asleep for weeks. Libi had been beside his bed before but she wasn't here now.

"Where's Libi?" he asked now, voice no longer as croaky as it had been before the water.

Clarus and Regis shared a look, a maddening habit that made Cor roll his eyes in frustration.

"Libi was here, but she had to leave," that confirmed his fears.

"Her dance recital," the nod was minute but Cor recognised it for what it was. His friends didn't want him to know. "It's today isn't it?" Another small nod and the realisation of why Regis only gave him a vague date when he'd asked. He flung the blanket off his legs and made to swing his legs over the side. Both Clarus and Regis launched into action. Regis standing, his report and papers floating to the floor, hand on Cor's shoulder pulling him back into the bed. Clarus in front of him, one hand on his hip the other outstretched signalling for him to halt.

"Where are you going?" Clarus asked, the stern look on his face reserved for recruits who weren't listening to him.

"Going to my sister's dance recital."

"Are you an idiot?"

"Yes Clarus, I am, over the past month alone, you uttered those words far too many times for me to keep count. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Cor," Regis said, trying to pacify him. "Libi knows you're not going to be there, she wasn't going to go herself. She very much wanted to stay by your bedside had we not convinced her to dance."

"She can't not dance," Cor stated and Clarus nodded.

"That's what we told her, that you would want her to dance, just like she would want you to rest."

"I will be resting, what's the difference between going there and watching a recital or staying here and watching a soap opera on tv?" Clarus and Regis stayed quiet and Cor knew he was making sense. "I'll even stay in a wheelchair," he tried not to make it sound like he was pleading with his friends when in reality he was. He'd never missed one of his sister's dance recitals and he never would. Not unless there was a very good reason, and lying in hospital recovering from a fight with an immortal was not one of those reasons. "I made a promise to my mother before she died. It was our mother's favourite thing to watch, she never missed a recital and neither will I."

Regis sighed and let his hand go, releasing Cor's shoulder. He glanced up at Clarus. "Call the car."

Let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Thank you."

~*~

"You're an idiot!" Libi was angry with him, glaring down at him as he shifted uncomfortably in the wheelchair Regis had pilfered for him to use. "And you too, I don't care if you’re the crown prince, he should be resting in bed. Can't you write a royal decree or something?" She was now pointing at a rather amused Regis, ignoring the looks and whispers she was getting from the other parents who were milling around.

There was something rather amusing about watching his twelve-year-old sister tear into a twenty-one-year-old who happened to be the Prince of Lucis and his twenty-six-year-old bodyguard, who was twice her size and looked like he could snap her in two like a twig.

"Libi," Cor said, hoping his voice would take her focus off Regis. "Don't blame them. I made a promise remember, that I wouldn't miss a show."

Libi's face softened and she bent down into a hug. "I was just worried about you that's all," she whispered in his ear.

"I know, but I've told you it's my job to worry about you. It's your job to dance."

She sighed and pulled back, nodding slightly. "The second half is about to start, then can we go for pancakes?"

Cor nodded with a smile. "You know it."

She returned the nod and with a smile skipped off towards the stage. Bowing apologetically to Regis as she passed.

"She's scarier than anything we faced out beyond the wall," Clarus commented.

"She reminds me of you Cor," Regis added. "Stubborn, headstrong, scary when angry.

Cor just hummed. "It's all part of the Leonis charm."

"Yet you’re the one who ran off to tangle with an immortal."

"Maybe I'm the immortal one," Cor commented sarcastically.

"And no-one else is going in. Mors is forbidding anyone to follow in your footsteps. We lost too many good people in there," Clarus said as the lights dimmed.

"And could have lost one more," Regis's meaning was clear and even though it was dark, Cor turned to his friends.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad you are immortal, old friend. It means that when you run off and do stupid things like this again, which you will," Regis added when Cor opened his mouth to deny his words. "Well, it means we know you'll come back to us."

Cor scoffed, he wasn't immortal, just lucky.  
  



	3. Marshall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are moving rapidly forward for Cor, he now has to lead and teach. So used to travelling alone, he doesn’t know how to face the fears of travelling with others under his responsibility. The crushing pressure of making sure they all make it back, instead of just him. Nothing, however, is worse than the fear he feels when a loved one goes missing.   
> **Prompt** : Fears

The nickname had stuck, much to Cor's disdain and his sister's endless amusement.

"It serves you right for worrying everyone," she would say whenever he complained about it.

If there's one thing the moniker gave him, it was the sense of respect from others. Never mind the fact that he was best friends with the prince and his shield. He was the fifteen-year-old who danced with an immortal and came back alive. The prince, or king as he had been for the past year and a half, had started giving him more responsibility as well. No longer was he:  Cor Leonis, the private chosen to accompany the prince and his retinue on a tour of Lucis. No, now he was a captain. An officer of the crownsguard. He had paperwork to fill out and an active role in the training and development of new recruits.

"I'm not ready," he’d argued to Clarus one evening after the announcement was made. "There are many older and more…" he loathed to use the word mature, but that's what it boiled down to. He was twenty years old. Some of the recruits that were passing through their doors were older than him, experienced veterans from beyond the wall. How could he ever be taken seriously?

"You are ready," Clarus had said placating. It infuriated Cor how calm his friend was.

"You're pawning all your responsibilities off on me," he countered. "You were born to do this, trained since birth. I've no more additional training than the greenest cadet who didn't even see the front lines."

"You travelled with and protected Regis as we toured the front lines and went beyond Lucis. You successfully completed countless recon missions into enemy territory…"

"You'll be calling me marshal next," Cor finally muttered.

Clarus' eyes darkened. "Do you want to be the marshal?"

Cor sighed. "Look, all those recon missions, the gathering of intel? They'll all stop if you make me marshal; there's no one out there who can do it. You'd be benching me."

"Then teach them. Teach others how to be like you. If anything comes up we'll send you but there's no denying the fact that things are calming down out there. The decision to pull back helped for now but it's not going to last forever and I need to know that our king is safe. If that means putting my best man as the head of the guard then so be it. Ten years Cor. You can have your freedom for ten years, then I making you marshal.

He excused himself, leaving Cor alone with his words. It took two minutes to realise that what had started out as a conversation for him to take more responsibility in training recruits had turned into him marshalling the whole crownsguard.

~*~

Training the new recruits wasn't too bad. His name and the fear he felt, helped motivated him in doing his job. Gone was the firecracker of his youth and in its place was a hardened war veteran, with a no-nonsense attitude. It was an image he'd given himself, one that made the recruits both fear and admire him. There were three of them entrusted with the task of training the recruits. Himself, the youngest but also the de facto leader, Monica Elshett, a woman a year older than him and Dustin Ackers, a man who was the same age as Regis. Between the three of them, they ran a tight ship when it came to recruitment. 

Clarus was true to his words in regards to sending him on intel gathering missions and m ore often than not Cor would take recruits with him as a learning curve. The pressure and fear of having more than just his own life to bring home safely prompted him to exceed all expectations Regis and Clarus set on him.

With fear as his primary influence, Cor worked hard and was promoted to General shortly after his twenty-second birthday. A title that was more a formality than a necessity, it was no lie that people had started to defer to him instead of going to Clarus. Clarus was married now, Regis not long after him. They were both busy with their own lives whilst the empire was quiet and Cor was very much married to his work.

But with all the fear in his life, edging him onwards there was nothing more terrifying than the prospect of losing the one he loved.

"Cor!" he'd barely dismissed the team of three he'd chosen to scope out Galahd when Monica was calling him over.

"I've been back five minutes and could do with a shower. Can it wait?" Cor wasn't bitter, just tired. Monica and Dustin were probably the only two besides Regis and Clarus that he could relax around.

"There's someone in the office, for you. He's been coming here every day for the past three days, won't tell us what it's about but keeps demanding to see you. Says his name is Argentum?"

Cor rubbed his eyes and pinched his nose trying to see if that name was familiar to him.  It wasn't but with a sigh he acquiesced, nodding as he followed Monica to their office. There were two parts to their office, the outer office where Dustin, himself and Monica worked and then Clarus' office which was never used since he used an office closer to Regis'. It was commonly used as a conference room whenever the three of them needed a little more privacy than the open plan outer office.

Dustin raised a hand in greeting as they entered and gestured to the closed door of Clarus' office. "I'll let Clarus know you're back but otherwise indisposed," he said and Cor nodded, shrugging off his bag and entering into the inner office.

A young man with light brown hair, grey eyes and no older than nineteen stood up and to attention when Cor walked in.

"Cor Leonis?" he asked and Cor nodded, wary of his young visitor. "I'm Marshall Argentum… a friend of Libi's."

Now the name rang a bell, a memory of a brief conversation that was had over eight years ago about a young boy called Marshall whom his sister thought was cute.

"Ah, how is my sister?" Cor asked gesturing to one of the two chairs facing the desk. He stopped himself from going around the desk and sitting in the main chair and instead, dropped himself next to Marshall.

Marshall didn't sit down, instead, he blanched and fiddled with the sleeve of his sweater nervously.

"That's why I'm here… sir," he added glancing down at Cor's slightly dishevelled uniform. "They said you were out of town but I still have hope that you might have heard something?"

"Heard what?" Cor didn't like where this was going.

"Libi's disappeared. She's not answering any of her calls and no one has seen her in three days. The police are involved…"

Cor felt his blood run cold as he fumbled to check his phone. It had died a couple of days into their trip but that didn't stop him from mashing the power-button in the hopes that fear alone would power it. Marshall was still talking, explaining what had happened but he wasn't listening, all he could think of was the fact that he hadn't been there for his sister and now she was missing.

"Er Sir?"

"Cor?" The voices mingled together and Cor struggled to make out who else had joined them in the room.

"Start talking," the voice said again but it wasn't directed at him. As Marshall launched into the story once more he felt a hand on his shoulder, one that he didn't have the energy to brush it off. The one thing that echoed around his head was that Libi was missing and had been missing for three days. Could this have been a kidnapping, someone trying to get to him because of his connections to the crown? He tried to clear his head and listen in. The other voice, Clarus he realised, was asking all the right questions. It seemed the police didn't think it was a kidnapping, only a run-away teen based on her family history. The police apparently hadn't even made the connection that Libi was related to Cor and for that Clarus had scoffed, muttering about the incompetence of their city's emergency services.

Marshall started speaking again, reiterating what he knew and Cor picked up core words. An argument and a break-up. Cor frowned and finally his head was clear enough to brush off Clarus' hand and stand up. Clarus said something, Marshall shrank back away from him, but Cor ignored them both and walked away. He needed to start thinking rationally about this, he needed to combine his crownsguard training with his heart. If Libi was upset, she would have come to him, but if he was out of service or unavailable then where would she have gone?

Since their mother had passed away they didn't have anyone else. Libi had been at Karen's for eight years if she didn't go to her then… he paused in alarm, stopping in front of the window that overlooked the gardens. He watched wide-eyed as in a rare moment of freedom, Regis and his wife, Aulea enjoyed a stroll in the gardens. He knew they were trying for a child, much as Clarus and his wife were. They had lineages to protect and Cor couldn't help but think that Aulea would make a wonderful mother. Already she worked with the various charities of insomnia, supporting refugees and children alike. She was already a mother to the city, it wouldn't be long before she was a mother to her own child. There was nothing more profound than a mother's love. 

It was in that instant as he watched Regis bend down to pick up a flower and place it behind his wife's ear that Cor realised where he needed to go.

~*~

Their old home wasn't the most grandiose of houses, something made worse by the huge condemned sign on the door and a date of demolition (some three months earlier). The whole terrace had been scheduled for demolition, to make way for a new apartment building to join the other high-rises in the neighbourhood. It seemed though, judging by the half-finished high-rise a couple of meters away that funding had dried up before his old house had been demolished. Small blessings it seemed.

Despite Cor's wishes, Clarus had come with him, bringing along a small contingent of crownsguard. He did, however, manage to convince his friend to wait outside. Leaves crackled underfoot as he stepped over the threshold, the door long since broken off its hinges. The smell of dust permeated the air and suddenly Cor was awash in memories. Thoughts of his small but broken family dancing in the living room, cooking in the kitchen. On dark nights when the wind howled and lightning flashed outside, he and Libi would find solace in the comfort of their mother's room. Hiding under the covers with her as they waited out the storm. It was this room he headed to now, automatically missing the third step to avoid its squeak, and skirting around the corner where the carpet frayed causing a trip hazard. Over eight years had passed since he last stepped in the house, yet his body remembered it like it was yesterday.

His mother's room was open, the door still intact despite the decay of the rest of the house. It was plausible, like so many other derelict houses that this building had fallen to squatters and teenagers in the last lustrum. On the bed unmoving, was his sister. Sweet wrappers and crisp packets littered the floor so at least he knew she'd been eating. He took a tentative step forward, not wanting to wake her if she was asleep. Plastic crinkled under foot as he stepped on a water bottle and he winced at the sound.

Libi stirred, her tear-stained face turning towards him in alarm before it scrunched up and burst into tears. Cor crossed the room in an instant and sat on the bed allowing her to fall into his outstretched arms. They sat quietly, Libi's sobs the only noise. Cor held her close. He didn't press just continued to hold her, taking the time to calm his heart and his nerves, all so he could comfort her.

"He dumped me," she finally said softly. Giving a little hiccup as she tried to steady her breathing. "He dumped me and you weren't there. I didn't know where else to go."

"I'm sorry," Cor said and he was. He'd broken his promise to always be there, to always protect her. He'd done neither. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head quickly, before nodding slowly, following up with another quick shake of the head. "I don't know," she said finally.

Cor hugged her closer. He didn't really know what to do in this situation. Monica dealt with all the female drama of the recruits and the odd times he'd had to fill in, it was to give them a pat on the shoulder,  _ a there, there _ and a reminder that the empire doesn't care if they're single or not before they decide to kill them.

"There's a lot of people worried about you," he said instead and Libi looked up at him. "Karen, Marshall, even Clarus is outside."

She nodded and used the back of hand to rub her eyes, before grabbing back on to Cor. "Don't leave me," she whispered.

"Never." 

~*~

His name was Joaquim, he was a college student and they had met when she'd snuck out to a college party. They'd hit it off and dated for a good eight months before it ended. She hadn't told anyone, only Marshall and even he had been sworn to secrecy. Joaquim was three years older than her and she was scared that people would tell her that he was bad news. The fact that he was, only made her feel more guilty that she hadn’t told anyone.

He'd cheated on her, with two other girls and a boy. When she finally comforted him about it, he had broken up with her. Told her that she wasn't worth it if she couldn't accept the fact that he was bisexual. Libi had been left too confused to even comment on the fact that they had been seeing each other for eight months in an exclusive relationship and he had the gall to date others behind her back. Him being bisexual had nothing to do with it. What had made it worse, she confided in later, was that she had told him that she loved him and he had returned the saying.

Cor very much wanted to assemble the crownsguard and hunt down this Joaquim. He argued that it would make a great training exercise if a Nifillian spy ever infiltrated the wall. Clarus and Regis both said no and told him to take a week off work lest he go behind their back and do it anyway. His friends, apparently, knew him far too well.

"Promise me one thing," he said one evening a week after it had happened. He was due back to work the next day and Libi, who had been staying at his apartment for the week, was due to go back to Karen's.

"What's that?" she asked, leaning over to grab the last slice of pizza, nearly knocking over her beer at the same time.

He rolled his eyes and moved it. Making a mental note to not tell Karen or social services that he had given alcohol to a minor. She was eighteen, practically an adult, graduating from high school. He'd been fifteen when he'd first gotten drunk, (Cid had slipped some vodka in his water bottle to see what a drunken Cor would like, much to the amusement of the others. He'd figured it out as soon as he'd tasted it, but he still drank it). However, the legal age in Insomnia was twenty and so Cor let her drink in silence.

"Don't be the girl everyone expects you to be. You stood up to him, that's great, next time knock his teeth out. Or better yet, don't let there be a next time. Find someone who is worthy and will respect you for who you are." 

"Did you read that in some women's health magazine?" she asked with a snort and Cor had the decency to look offended.

"I have you know it's from the heart." Or at least the hearts of the only females he knew and spoke to on a regular occasion. Aulea and Clarus' wife had only been too pleased to give him relationship advice. 

This, of coursed, cause Libi to smirk even more. "You're such a dork," she said giggling.

Cor deadpanned. "I also have a reputation to uphold, so if you tell anyone, I will send the entirety of the crownsguard after you."

"You don't have that power," she pouted, before grabbing her beer and taking a swig. Cor's eyes narrowed menacingly and she snorted once more, the amber liquid trickling down her chin.

Cor smirked as she hurried away to dry up.  Though he knew there would always be fear in his life, he knew he would be able to handle anything as long as Libi was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasp* Is Marshall Argentum related to Prompto? Possibly ;)


	4. Marshal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the night of Cor's commencement ceremony. His accession to Marshal of the Crownsguard. He's prepared for this his whole life, what he wasn't prepared for was his sister's boyfriend asking him for his blessing.   
> **Prompt:** Dad!Cor and Marshal Leonis.

 

So much for having ten years.

They were in Clarus' office, his crownsguard one, not the one near the king in the heart of the citadel. Cor knew for a fact that Monica and Dustin (and probably Titus Drautos, the newest officer to join their little training team) were outside the closed door trying to listen to everything Clarus was telling Cor. Which, Cor supposed, was a good thing because his mind had surely short-circuited as soon as the words were out of the shield's mouth.

"I making you marshal."

"What happened to my ten years?" Cor managed to ground out.

"I gave you four," Clarus shrugged as if there was little difference between the years. "I have a child now, I need to cut back on my responsibility and you are ready my friend."

Cor said nothing but he was pretty sure his mouth was flailing like a fish in a tank. It wasn't very becoming of him.

"Your commencement ceremony will be at mid-winter," Clarus continued, if he was amused by Cor's lack of composure he said nothing. Cor, however, knew he would be the but of all the jokes between him and Regis if he didn't at least try to school his features. He managed to close his mouth, before realising that Clarus was waiting for an answer.

He sighed resignedly. There was nothing else to do but accept his fate. "Is there anything else I can do for you my lord," he asked mockingly, a small smirk quirking at the corners of his mouth. "A cup of coffee maybe, a five-course meal? Do you want me to be the godfather of your child…"

Clarus grinned. "Now that you mention it…"

Cor sighed and rolled his eyes, he didn't mind it. Gladiolus was cute, if not in a slightly scary child-of-a-shield way. He was also barely a year old and already had everyone wrapped around his stubby little fingers. He reminded Cor of his sister.

"You are incorrigible," he muttered shaking his head which only caused Clarus to widen his grin.

"Yet you're still here," he stated. Cor took that his cue to leave and turned on his heel, hearing Clarus call after him as the door shut behind him, "I don’t know why you’re leaving when this is your office now!"

Three pairs of eyes glanced at him from their desks, all looked too suspicious to have been there the whole time. Titus was even holding a book upside down. Cor gestured to the office. "I'm not doing it alone," the meaning was clear.

"Good, because you're hopeless on your own. Marshal," the taunt was light and accompanied by a slight bow. Cor clicked his tongue at her and Monica grinned. "In all fairness, you'll do fine."

He sincerely hoped she was right.

~*~

"Can Marshall come?" Libi asked that evening when Cor had called to tell her the news. She and Marshall were now a full-blown couple, both still in college but living together on the outskirts of the university district. She had decided to take her dancing to a whole new level and was studying it in the hopes she could become a dance teacher. Marshall was completing a degree in mechanical engineering. They'd been together in a relationship for a year and a half, finally realising their feelings for each other a couple of months after the incident.

"Oh, I don't know," Cor started, the tease evident in his voice. "The Citadel is only big enough for one marshal."

"Cor!" Libi screeched and Cor could practically hear her eye roll through the phone. "How long have you been sitting on that one?"

Cor just chuckled. "Yes, he can come. In fact, Clarus has already assumed he was coming. He explicitly said, "Don't forget to tell your sister and the other Marshall."

"You are both horrible," Libi said with a groan. "But we'll both be there. Thank you! Is there a dress code? I mean this thing is in the Citadel? Normal plebes like us don't get to enter the citadel you know."

"It'll be on the formal invite I'm sending by chocobo-drawn carriage."

"You're joking?" her voice was hesitant. "Please tell me you're joking? Astrals I would die if a chocobo-drawn carriage showed up at our apartment. People would talk about us for weeks. The gossip is terrible in this part of town."

"I'll text you the details, would that make you feel better?"

"Yes." There was a pause, then, "I'm really proud of you, you know? I keep saying this, but I am. You've come from nothing to be the Marshal of the Crownsguard."

Cor swallowed the lump in his throat. This wasn't the time to get sentimental.

"Thank you. I'll see you later?"

"If not before!” She chirped and hung up, no doubt to tell Marshall about the news.

There was a poke at his leg and he looked down, forgetting that he had agreed to babysit Gladiolus in an attempt for the two of them to bond. "If you grow up taller than me, then well, I'll have to knock you down a couple of pegs using other methods." He grinned when Gladiolus poked him again with the crayon he'd been using.

"Stab!" he gurgled. "Stab, Stab!" It was fitting yet slightly morbid, that the first words of a future shield were 'stab' and 'kill'.

"Yes," Cor replied, finally looking down at the 'art-work' the toddler had been creating. The paper was nowhere to be seen, instead, there was crayon all over the walls and wood flooring. Cor grimaced. Clarus was going to kill him. "Come on Kid," he picked Gladiolus up and stood, walking them both to the kitchen to fetch a cloth. "Time to learn the ways of old-man Miyagi." He gathered two cloths (which happened to be clean reusable diapers), wet them and walked back to the main room gesturing to the mess.

He set Gladiolus on the floor and sat next to him, smiling slightly as the toddler giggled. "Take this and now, wax on," he gestured to the wax crayon on the wall and motioned to Gladiolus to use the wet rag to rub off the marks. "Wax off."

~*~

It was an elegant affair, more elegant that his swearing-in ceremony or his passing out parade. This was coronation levels of elegance, rivalled only by the fact that Regis had an ice sculpture. He, on the other hand, had a chocolate fountain.

"Excited?" a voice asked at his shoulder and he turned to find the queen, glancing at him with caring blue eyes. He bowed formally.

"Nervous. Your husband is an idiot for trusting me."

"Yes, he is an idiot, but he's a smart one. He wouldn’t have said yes to the idea if he didn't believe in you."

Cor harrumphed and Aulea smiled. "You'll do fine, Marshal. I place our lives in your hands and I know you'll do us proud."

She curtsied to him before drifting off to mingle with the crowd allowing others to come in an offer up congratulations for his new position. He didn't like being the centre of attention.

It was two hours later before he could finally have time to breath. He didn't know half the people that had come to congratulate him, delegates from Galahd, Accordo and Tenebrae all clambering to talk to him. He longed to take the bottle of Leiden Whisky Cid had sent him and hide in the gardens, but he'd been on strict orders to behave. Orders that had been laced with more babysitting duty if he didn't comply. Babysitting duty that would not only be Gladiolus but also a young boy called Ignis who was slated to be the Advisor of the next unborn royal. Cor hated society for that reason, poor kid barely ten months old and already had his life planned out for him.

Every so often he caught eyes with his sister, a sister who was loving all the attention she and Marshall were getting. Aulea and the other citadel wives had latched on to her and invited her into their circle like she'd been there the whole time. Marshall had been kept busy with fetching drinks to them all, dancing with everyone. It was Marshall who had brought him out of his musing, as he inched towards him.

"Cor," he held up a hand in greeting, before dropping it slightly and bending into a bow. "Sir, Marshal? My Lord?"

Cor winched. "Cor is fine, I'm no one's lord," although he was, technically. Being Marshal brought with it various perks and social privileges. He was now a member of the court, his background be damned. If Cor decided to marry and have children of his own, those children would automatically be accepted into the crownsguard should they wish it. Cor wouldn't wish society life on anyone.

"Ah Cor," he fiddled with the cuff of his jacket, a nervous habit it seemed. "I was wondering if I could have a word with you? In private?"

Cor frowned and glanced around. He wasn't on duty, that had been made explicitly clear by Regis, Clarus, Monica, Dustin and Titus. All five of them going so far as to plan the security detail for this event behind his back. He'd also possibly spoken to everyone there was to speak to, surely no one would miss him for five minutes? He glanced over at Libi who was having a spirited discussion with the wives of an advisor and a council member. "Would you join me for a walk in the gardens? It seems I could do with some air, it's a bit stuffy in here if you catch my drift."

Marshall's eyes widened but his lips quirked into a grin as he understood the double meaning and the two of them walked towards the open verandah doors before heading into the gardens.

Cor liked Marshall, he was very protective of Libi and that was enough for him. He had a good strong head on his shoulders, a little flighty perhaps, full of jokes and quirks but between him and Libi, they were sunshine personified and everyone needed a little bit of light during the dark days they sometimes had. Niflheim was quiet and Tenebrae and Accordo had pretty much been left to their own devices. Galahd, a nation in the north and the only other nation other than Lucis not annexed or under another rule, was thriving. It almost looked like peace. Almost.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Libi really looks up to you, you know. You're more than a brother to her, you’re a father figure,  someone she aspires to be like . I want to ask Libi to marry me."

The words slowed Cor down somewhat. The thought of Libi getting married tugged at his protective nature, but he had long learned that Libi was her own person, even if he thought she was too young. She was twenty, still in college, but this was her life.

"Shouldn't you be asking Libi?" Cor asked, starting to walk again. Marshall doubled his step to catch up with him.

"I will, but I wanted to ask you first," he twisted a cufflink, and Cor couldn't help but notice the green sweatband he wore on his wrist, a little something to rebel to the system no doubt. He was starting to like the young man even more. "It's customary to ask for the blessings of the intended’s father. Or at least a father figure in their life."

He wasn’t expecting that. He’d heard about asking for the father’s blessing. Seen it happen a few times within the citadel, but never expected he would be asked for his permission before. It was a tradition as old as time itself and the fact that Marshall was following tradition spoke leaps and bounds for him. He could have very easily not asked, but Marshall knew that he needed to prove that he was the right fit for Libi. Working up the courage to ask Cor, probably the third most powerful man in Lucis, for his sister’s hand in marriage, was one of the bravest things Cor had ever seen.

"Cor?" Marshall looked at him nervously and Cor couldn't blame him, here he was asking Cor's permission and Cor had gone silent, probably pale as well and Marshall was no doubt thinking the worst.

"Sorry. You pose me with a question I never thought I would hear, but hearing you say it, it makes sense as to why you would come to me. I will gladly give you my blessing," Marshall grinned. "But," and Cor raised a finger. If Marshall thought he was a father figure, he was going to act like a father figure. "If you hurt her…" he left the threat open, gesturing instead to the guards standing in their positions around them. Marshall nodded eagerly.

"You have my word sir, I will look after her," and he bowed. Fist clenched, feet together, arm in front and bent at the waist. It was a bow for kings and a bow of respect and Cor nodded his head. Libi was going to be fine.

~*~

He didn't expect him to propose that night, however.

"Did you know?" Regis asked as he, Cor and Clarus watched as the newly proposed couple shared a dance in the middle of the floor.

"I did," Cor said, there wasn't any point in lying. His emotions were right there on his face.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Clarus said with mock admonishment.

"I only knew, because Marshall asked for my blessing."

"Marshall asked for your blessing?" Regis asked eyebrow raised. Clarus snorted.

"Who else is he going to ask? Cor's more than a father to her than their old man ever was. No offence," he added quickly.

"None taken," Cor said and he saw Clarus visibly relax. "It's the truth. I just didn't expect it that's all."

"Never thought I’d see you get sentimental, old friend," Regis said with a grin. "Maybe I should start calling you Papa Cor?"

Cor just rolled his eyes.

"Oh speaking of which? The missus asked me, to ask you, why Gladiolus keeps taking off his diapers and rubbing them on the wall, all the while quoting the Karate Kid?"

Regis burst out into laughter, causing a few around them to stare at the three friends. Cor deadpanned and turned to his friend.

"You’ve got to start them young if you want them to be as good as you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter I regretted naming the Argentum boy, Marshall... haha.
> 
> With only one chapter left I just wanted to stop and say thank you. To everyone who has commented and kudos thus for I really appreciate it :D
> 
> Until tomorrow <3


	5. Argentum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big day has arrived. He's giving his sister away. For all her life he has tried to be there for her, protecting her and shielding her. But it's guilt he feels like he's giving up on her. His friends have a few choice words to help him through.

Cor was nervous and if he was nervous he had no idea how his sister was feeling. When Marshall had asked for his blessing he hadn't realised that it would come with the added responsibility of walking Libi down the aisle. He was also emotional, not that anyone would know it. He was pretty good at only showing his emotions to those who were close to him. Regis and Clarus could read him like a book, a side-effect of their past. Monica was pretty intuitive herself and could usually guess what was going on just by the way he walked or shut a door. Titus and Dustin were a lot more perspective then they gave each other credit for and usually made themselves scarce if the atmosphere got too tense.

"Stop overthinking things," that was Monica. Dressed in a plain black suit with a white shirt. She was working, as were a couple of others disguised as wedding guests in order to provide a subtle security detail for Regis.

"I'm not," Cor responded, somewhat childishly. He was trying to tie his bowtie and couldn't work out why he didn’t buy a clip-on like a normal person.

Monica raised an eyebrow, sighed when she saw him struggling and stalked over to help him. "You are," she countered, deftly tying the two sections together. "You're guilt-tripping yourself." Cor did his best impression of a fish, before allowing Monica to continue. "The way I see it is that you promised to look after her, but now you're giving her to someone else to look after. Am I close?" She stepped back to admire her handy work, before slipping back to her post at the door, hands in fists behind her back.

Cor slumped and sat down on a chaise lounge. "How do I know he'll protect her? He can't do what I do."

'No, but he can give her the world, can you do that?"

Cor sighed and knew exactly what Monica wanted him to say. "I can give her to Marshall."

"Exactly, you and your son-in-law. Sorry brother-in-law," her lips quirked and Cor knew that what she had said wasn't a mistake. "Work in tandem together, to protect and look after her. Think of it as delegation."

"There's a reason I don't like to delegate Monica," Cor muttered and she clicked her tongue.

"Yes, I've seen your pile of paperwork, we really need to work on that." Cor rolled his eyes and said nothing. "Yes, you're going to feel guilty but you have to learn to trust him. He may not have your title or your talents, but he can care for her and provide for her. The fact that he waited to finish college and get a good job to support them both before they tied the knot is a testament to that."

Cor hummed in agreement, letting Monica's words wash over him. They had waited, almost two years they had waited. Libi had finished her studies and had a position and her own set of students at a respectable dance studio in the heart of the city. Marshall was working for a manufacturing company that supplied the _EXINERIS_ power plant in Lestallum with all their equipment. They were stable, they had a roof over their heads and money coming in. Cor shouldn't be worried and he shouldn't be guilty.

There was a knock at the door that Monica answered almost immediately, revealing Libi standing looking rather sheepish in a floor-length white dress.

"Ready to go?" she asked with a polite nod at Monica.

Cor stood and straightened out his trousers before walking over and offering his arm to his sister. She took it happily and with one last look at the room (an occupational hazard), they both stepped out into the hallway.

"Sorry about the pomp and circumstance," he muttered as they rounded a corner to see an amused Titus standing guard outside the main doors of the church.

"My brother is the marshal of the crownsguard, even if the king wasn't hiding in the back row, wearing an oversized hat to hide his identity I would have still expected some sort of 'pomp' as you call it."

"The guests aren't too put out by it all are they?"

"Nah, they'll get over it. Although Clarus did give Marshall's grandma a minor heart attack when they introduced themselves."

Cor chuckled at the image, small humble Mrs Argentum being introduced to the King and his Shield, the poor old dear was nearing ninety and was no-doubt half Clarus' size if not less. They paused before the door, bridesmaids lining up dutifully behind them. Gladiolus and a four-year-old cousin of Marshall were set to lead the procession.

"Leave the tie alone Gladio," Cor said when he noticed the three-year-old tugging at the offending item.

"Tis too tight," he moaned.

"You'll drop the ring if you're not careful," he glanced pointedly at the small wedding band that rested on top of a cushion. A cushion that Gladiolus was only holding with one hand.

"Shan't," he muttered, before dutifully letting go of his tie and grasping onto the cushion with both hands.

"If you look after my ring Gladdy, we can dance at the party later."

"Guard it like your daddy guards Uncle Regis," Cor added.

Gladiolus seemed to contemplate this for a second before nodding. He glanced down at the cushion, his little pink tongue poking out at the sides in concentration as he watched over it.

~*~

"Libi and I didn't have a father figure growing up and while I wasn't around as much as I had liked, everything I did, I did it for Libi. I joined the crownsguard for her, treasonous I know - where's my sense of honour, duty, pride, or what is it the kids are saying these days ‘Hearth and Home?’" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Titus raise a glass in tribute. "I did it to protect her. I'm her shield and now I am passing the mantle. From one marshal to another, if you hurt her I will deploy the entirety of the crownsguard on you and you will wish you'd never even heard of Leonis. But I know I have nothing to worry about. To Libi and Marshal Argentum."

The crowd repeated the mantra, raising their glasses in toast and Cor sat down. He hated public speaking; that's what Monica was for.

Others gave speeches, people Cor had never met, but he listened as they regaled tales of Libi and Marshall's childhood, a childhood that Cor had never seen and he felt the guilt starting to settle again. It slowly crept up as he listened to the time Libi got the flu because she'd locked herself out of the house (Cor had been in Altissia) or the time she broke her leg rescuing a cat from a tree. (Cor had been in Tenebrae).

"You're guilt tripping again," Clarus warned as they stood to one side and watched the happy couple danced.

"Monica's a traitor. We should watch her," Cor muttered.

"No, you just wear your heart on your sleeve," Regis said instead. "We've also spent far too much time with you to recognise when you're having an internal freak-out, as Cid would say."

"You're feeling guilty because you weren't there for her growing up. You say that everything you've done is for her, but you weren't there for her when she needed you. Am I close?"

"People need to stop reading me like a book."

"You shouldn't feel guilty, you've given her the world. You've given her Marshall and she will always be your little sister. She loves you, that's why I let you stay in the crownsguard, remember? Because she loves you."

"Clarus is right," Regis said glancing over at him. "She didn't need a dad growing up. She had you."

Cor nodded. They were right, as they often were with these matters. There were going to be times when Cor felt guilty, or scared, or worried, becuase he was her older brother and that's what older brothers did. He also knew, however, that it was of little importance how he felt, that she would be safe. No matter where he was in the world, or where she was in the world. She would be safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, it's over! :(
> 
> 5 days, 7 prompts and over 11,000 words of Cor being awesome!! Thanks so much for reading, all your kudos and leaving comments, they have literally made my day! And thanks so much for celebrating Cor Leonis weeks. The weeks not over yet, but this is all I planned for but be sure to check out the other wonderful artists and authors who have contributed as well!!
> 
> Love to you all!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to:  
> [Edrela](https://edrela.tumblr.com) \- my wonderful beta. Thanks for jumping on this with me.  
> The people of Discord - you all know who you are. Thanks for motivating and sprinting with me to help me get this done.
> 
> Feel free to come talk to me on Tumblr [@xxphoenixdownxx](https://xxphoenixdownxx.tumblr.com)


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